USA > Indiana > Hamilton County > A history of the formation, settlement and development of Hamilton County, Indiana, from the year 1818 to the close of the Civil War > Part 13
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In about the year 1865, N. White and Samuel and Joseph Cloud erected a flouring mill at this place. They were succeeded by Imri Hurst and Hurst by Henry Deer.
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The Union Christian Band was organized in the year 1859 at school house No. II, near Eagletown. It conducted services at that place about one year, at the end of which period they erected a house of worship a half mile east of Eagletown. It was denominated the "Union Blue." Within a few years the principal mem- bers moved to other places and the membership became much reduced. There were scarcely enough left to maintain an organization and the church building was donated to the United Brethren, reserving its use for meetings of the Christian Band, when wanted by them for that purpose. The building was moved to Eagle- town by the latter denoimination, where union services are conducted at regular intervals.
The United Brethren organized in 1849 or 1850, and in the same year erected a log church half a mile south of Eagletown. There were about twenty-five members at the date of their organization. About twelve years later they removed their building to Eagletown, where they continued to worship.
In 1841 or 1842 the Friends organized near Eagle- town in a log cabin, which stood on the land of Ephraim Stout. There were about fifteen members in this con- gregation and meetings were held in the same cabin for two years, when a house of worship was erected. This congregation was composed of members who were rad- ically anti-slavery in sentiment and had withdrawn from the Westfield Monthly Meeting on that account and
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firmly united with the anti-slavery Friends. In 1855 they reorganized at Eagletown and erected a comfort- able house, in which meetings have since been held every alternate month. The membership has increased to over one hundred. A Sabbath-school was organized by this society with good results.
New Britton.
New Britton is situated four miles south of Nobles- ville on the Peru & Indianapolis, now the Lake Erie & Western, Railroad, and was laid out by William Bran- con, March 18th, 1851. Soon after that one Mr. Brozier opened up a stock of merchandise at that place. A blacksmith shop was also soon after opened at this point, but I have been unable to get the name of the proprietor. Dr. Cyrus was the first physician to locate at that point. Mr. Brozier was succeeded in the goods business by Samuel Trittipo, who also bought grain. He did a large and profitable business. The postoffice was kept by Brozier during the time he was in business and by Trittipo at the time he owned the store. In about the year 1862 Sydney Cropper bought a farm ad- joining the town on the west. He opened up a black- smith and repair shop which he conducted for a number of years. He also acted as justice of the peace.
The school house was. one mile east of the town. The Methodist Episcopal Church organized a class as early as 1852 and met for worship at the school house
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above named. New Britton has never improved much. At the beginning it was a country village with its store, postoffice, doctor, blacksmith and justice of the peace. It will have its place in the history of the county by rea- son of the fact that two of the five commissioners ap- pointed to locate the capital of the State voted to locate the same upon what was called the Conner Bluff, on the east bank of White River, not more than one mile west of New Britton.
Ekin.
This village is situate about four miles west of At- lanta on the line dividing Hamilton and Tipton coun- ties. This is a thriving little village, with its stores, its blacksmith shop, physicians, school and church. It is situate in a good farming community, but the pro- ducts of the farm for sale go to some point on the rail- road. The sanie is true as to stock raised on the farm.
MMattsville.
This is a small village situate on the south bank of Cool Creek eight miles southwest of Noblesville in Del- aware Township. It has one store, one blacksmith shop and a postoffice. The nearest church building is White Chapel, east of Mattsville, and the nearest school house is near the church referred to. There is quite an amount of trade and business done at this point, but not much prospect for improvement.
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Atlanta.
This city is located on the north line of Hamilton County on the line of the old Peru & Indianapolis Rail- way, now known as the Lake Erie & Western. Caleb Sparger owned land in an early day west of the present line of railway. He laid off a town on his land and 1
named it Spargersville. He sold a few lots, kept a store for a short time and then sold his land and moved away. Michael Shiel was the owner of land east of Sparger. He laid out a town and named it Shielville. He also sold a few lots. On the 21st day of March, 1851, Andrew Tucker laid out and platted the town of Buana Vista. The name has been changed to Atlanta. So Spargerville, Shielville and Buana Vista combined is known as Atlanta. At the time Buana Vista was laid out the country all around it was new, the land wet and swampy and covered with a heavy growth of timber and underbrush. The first merchant was Caleb Spar- ger, the second Michael Shiel. The third store was opened by Bicknell Cole. The fourth firm was the Eshleman Bros. This was the first firm to sell goods in a frame building. The next was E. S. Tyler. from Indianapolis. The next was William Rooker. The next was John S. Wolf. This store was afterwards owned and operated by Wolf & Walton. Shielville was laid out in 1839. Its plat was never recorded, but the postoffice bore the name of "Shielville Postoffice." No great improvement was accomplished until the comple-
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tion of the railroad to that point. Messrs. Walton & Whetstone at or about this time formed a partnership for the purpose of carrying on the lumber and timber business. They commenced purchasing timber, which was sold in the log, made into lumber, staves and head- ing stock. In this undertaking they were very success- ful. Mr. Walton retained his interest in the stock of goods during all of the time he was in the lumber trade. In 1865 Mr. Walton and Mr. Niedhammer, under the firm name of Walton & Niedhammer, erected a flour- ing mill at a cost of $16,000. Among those who en- gaged in business in Buana Vista subsequent to those I have named were: Dry goods, drugs and groceries : Bisher & Daniels, Martin Roads, Joseph Lefever, WV. N. Jackson ; physicians: W. M. Glass, J. C. Driver. A. C. Freeman, Mrs. Dr. Roads ; boots and shoes: Essig & Fritz, W. B. Pierce, C. E. Albert ; saddler and har- ness maker: J. G. Dunn; stoves and tinware: \V. P. Winfield; blacksmiths: S. N. Matthews and Nicholas Warford; wagon makers: C. C. Phillips and E. J. Rogers, undertaker and furniture dealer.
The first church building in Buana Vista was built by all denominations and by contributions from those not members of any church and was called Union Church. It was used by all denominations harmoni- ously. The building was used for other purposes, such as public meetings and the like. The schools did not advance very rapidly up to 1865. Under the school
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system of 1852 better progress was made than had been made prior to that time. No other church building other than the Union Church heretofore spoken of was erected in Buana Vista until after the year 1865.
.Arcadia.
The town of Arcadia was laid out by Isaac Martz in 1850. It was situated on the Peru & Indianapolis, now the Lake Erie & Western Railroad, nine miles north of Noblesville. Between that time and the close of the year 1865 the town attained a position of mercantile importance and was and is recognized as a good trading point. It is surrounded by a good farming community composed of enterprising men. In 1852 the first stock of merchandise was opened for sale by Josephus Mun- dle. Two years later he disposed of his stock of goods at auction and Isaac Martz opened a store in the same building. This house was occupied from the time Mr. Martz vacated up to the year 1859 by Mr. Myers, G. B. Scribner and Seth Maker. In the fall of 1859 J. S. Carroll and brother rented the room and opened up a stock of goods. This firm continued in business about two years. They then sold out and J. S. Carroll and John I. Caylor formed a partnership. In 1864 Mr. Car- roll erected a new business house and associated W. T. Smith with him as a partner.
In the year 1864 the Evangelical Association erected a house of worship in Arcadia. Four years
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later this house was sold to the Methodist Episcopal Church. The Arcadia Christian Church was organized by Carey W. Harrison in 1845. There were about twen- ty-five members in the original organization. Mr. Har- rison remained in charge for a number of years. In 1850 Isaac Martz donated a lot upon which a building was soon after erected for a church and school house. Services were held in this house for about fifteen years. About 1866 they erected a new church building on Main Street.
After the passage of the school law of 1852 the peo- ple of Arcadia took great interest in the promotion of education. The school fund under this law did not for a few years accumulate rapidly and progress was slow.
The Arcadia flouring mill was erected by Isaac Martz in the year 1863. In 1864 he added a saw mill to this grist mill. The building is frame, 30x40 feet, the main building being two and a half stories high. It has three runs of buhrs and is conducted as a custom mill. A steam elevator was erected by W. B. Gentry. It was a frame building 40x90 feet, having a storage capacity of 8,000 bushels. The grain bought at this elevator was shipped to Eastern markets. A steam saw mill was erected by Niedham & Tucker. The main building was 35x90 feet and was two stories high. Furniture was made at this mill.
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CHAPTER XII.
Incidents and Stories.
The Indian Murders.
As early as 1821 two cabins were built in what is now known as Fall Creek Township. One of these cabins was built on the south bank of Fall Creek at the mouth of Thorpe's Creek. This creek had not received its present name at that time. The other cabin was built on the north bank of Fall Creek on the land that was owned by John Patterson at the time of his death. and near where the old Indian trace, leading from No- blesville to Greenfield, crossed the creek. These two cabins were found vacated by the first permanent set -. tlers of Fall Creek Township, and they never knew who built them. The writer of this history learned by accident that the last named cabin was built by a man by the name of Bridge, and, as will be shown here- after, it is probable that the first named cabin was built by a man by the name of Sawyer, who was a brother- in-law to Bridge. Bridge frequently visited the trading post of William Conner. There was, at the time, an Indian trail leading past Bridge's cabin from the east
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to William Conner's trading post, and when asked what he was doing he said hunting and trapping. Early in the spring of 1824 a hunting party of Seneca Indians, consisting of two men, three squaws and four children, encamped on the east side of Fall Creek about eight miles northeast of the present site of Pendleton. At this time the country was new and the population scat- tered here and there in the woods. Game was plenty and the Indian hunting grounds had not been forsaken by many of the tribes. The country around the camp- ing grounds of the Indians was a dense, unbroken for- est, and although these Indians were friendly, the white settlers felt some alarm and kept a watchful eye upon them. The principal Indian was named Ludlow; the other man was called Mingo. The Indians commenced their season of hunting and trapping-the men with their guns, and the squaws setting the traps, preparing and cooking the game and caring for the children- two boys some ten years old and two girls of more ten- der years. A week had rolled around and the success of the Indians had been only fair, with better prospects ahead. As the spring was opening and raccoons were beginning to leave their holes in the trees in search of the frogs that had begun to leave their muddy beds at the bottom of the creeks, the trapping season was only just commencing. Ludlow and his band, wholly unsus- picions of harm and unconscious of any approaching enemies, were seated around their camp fire, when
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there approached through the wood tive white men, Harper, Sawyer, Hudson, Bridge, Sr., and Bridge, Jr. Harper was the leader and stepping up to Ludlow, took him by the hand and told him that his party had lost their horses and wanted Ludlow and Mingo to help find them. The Indians agreed to go in search of the horses. Ludlow took one path and Mingo another. Harper followed Ludlow and Bridge, Sr., trailed Mingo, keeping some fifty yards behind. They traveled some short distance from the camp, when Harper shot Ludlow through the body. He fell dead on his face. Hudson, on hearing the crack of the rifle of Harper, im- mediately shot Mingo, the ball entering just below his shoulder and passing through his body, killing him in- stantly. The party then met and proceeded within gun- shot of the camp. Sawyer then shot one of the squaws through the head. She fell and died without a struggle. Bridge, Sr., shot another squaw, and Bridge, Jr., the other. Both fell dead. Sawyer then fired at the oldest boy, but only wounded him. The other children were shot by some of the party. Harper then led on to the camp, where the squaws, one boy and the two girls lay dead. The oldest boy was still living and Sawyer took him by the legs and knocked his brains out against the end of a log. The camp was then robbed of everything worth carrying away. Harper, supposed to be the ring leader, left immediately and was never taken. Hud- son, Sawyer, Bridge, Sr., and Bridge, Jr., were arrested
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and confined in a square log jail, built of heavy beech and sugar tree logs, notched down closely and fitting tight above, below and on the sides, all heavily ironed. Hudson was a man of about middle size, with a bad look, dark eye and bushy hair and about thirty-five years of age. Sawyer was about the same age, rather heavier than Hudson, but there was nothing in his ap- pearance that could have marked him in a crowd as any other than a common farmer. Bridge, Sr., was much older than Sawyer, his head was quite gray. He was above the common height, slender and a little bent when standing. Bridge, Jr., was some eighteen years of age, a tall stripling. Bridge, Sr., was the father of Bridge, Jr., as I have said, and the brother-in-law of Sawyer. The news of these Indian murders flew upon the wings of the wind. The settlers became greatly alarmed, fearing the retaliatory vengeance of the tribes and especially the other bands of Senecas. The facts reached Mr. John Johnston, at the Indian agency at Piqua. O. An account of the murders was sent from the agency to the War Department at Washington City. Col. Johnston and William Conner visited all of the Indian tribes and assured them that the Govern- ment would punish the offenders, and obtained the promise of the chiefs and warriors that they would wait and see what their "Great Father" would do before they took the matter into their own hands. This qitieted the fears of the settlers and preparation was
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commenced for the trials. A new log building was erected in the north part of Pendleton with two rooms, one for the court and the other for the grand jury. The court room was about 20x30 feet, with a heavy punch- eon floor and a platform at one end, three feet high, with a strong railing in front. It had a bench for the judges, a plain table for the clerk, in front on the floor a long bench for the counsel, a little pen for the pris- oners, a side bench for the witnesses, and a long pole in front substantially supported to separate the crowd from the court and bar. A guard by day and night was placed around the jail. The court was composed of William W. Wick, presiding judge; Samuel Holliday and Adam Winchel, associate judges. Judge Wick was young on the bench, but had had much experience in criminal trials. Judge Winchel was one of the best and most conscientious of men. He was a blacksmith by trade and had ironed the prisoners. He was an hon- est, but illiterate man. Both associate judges were without any pretensions to legal knowledge. Moses Cox was the clerk. He could barely write his name. Samuel Cory, the sheriff, was a fine specimen of a ; woods Hoosier, without fear of man or beast, with a voice that made the woods ring as he called the jurors and witnesses. The State was thus prepared for the trials. In the meantime the Government was not sleep- ing. Col. Johnston, the Indian agent, was directed to attend the trials to see that the witnesses were present
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and to pay their fees. Gen. James Noble. then a United States Senator, was employed by the Secretary of War to prosecute, with power to fee an assistant. Philip Sweetzer, a young son-in-law of the General, of high promise in his profession, was selected by the General as liis assistant. Calvin Fletcher was the regular prose- cuting attorney, then a young man of more than ordi- nary ability, and a good criminal lawyer. The only inn at Pendleton was a new frame house near the creek. When the day for the trial of Hudson, one of the pris- oners, arrived, a number of the distinguished lawyers of this State were in attendance and several from the State of Ohio. Among the most noted I name Gen. James Noble, Philip Sweetzer, Harvey Clegg, Lot Bloomfield, James Rariden, Charles W. Zest, Calvin Fletcher, Daniel E. Wick and William R. Morris, of this State. Two from Ohio were Gen. Sampson Mason and Moses Vance. Judge Wick was absent in the morning and William R. Morris arose and moved the associate judges as follows: "I ask that these gentlemen be ad- mitted as attorneys and counselors at this bar. They are regular practitioners, but have not brought their licenses with them." Then the following took place : Judge Winchel-"Have they come here to defend the prisoners ?" Mr. Morris-"The most of them have." Judge Winchel-"Let them be sworn, nobody but a lawyer would defend a murderer." Mr. Morris-"I move the court for a writ of habeas corpus to bring up
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the prisoners now legally confined in jail." Judge Win- chel-"For what?" Mr. Morris-"A writ of habeas corpus." Judge Winchel-"What do you want to do with it?" Mr. Morris-"To bring up the prisoners and have them discharged." Judge Winchel-"Is there any law for that ?" Mr. Morris read the statute regu- lating the writ of habeas corpus. Judge Winchel- "That act, Mr. Morris, has been repealed long ago." "Your Honor is mistaken," replied Mr. Morris, "it is a constitutional writ as old as Magna Charta itself." "Well, Mr. Morris, to cut the matter short," said the Judge, "it will do you no good to bring out the pris- oners. I ironed them myself, and you will never get those irons off until they have been tried, habeas corpus or no habeas corpus. Motion overruled." Judge Wick then entered and took his seat between the two side judges. Judge Wick-"Call the grand jury." All an- swered to their names, and were sworn. Court then adjourned for dinner. After dinner the court met, and the grand jury brought an indictment for murder. drawn by Mr. Fletcher against Hudson. Counsel on both sides-"Bring the prisoners into the court." The Court-"Sheriff put a jury in the box." Sheriff-"May it please the Court, Dr. Highday just handed me a list of names to call on the jury." Judge Wick ordered the Doctor brought into court. Dr. Highday-"Did Your Honor wish to see me?" Judge Wick-"Dr. Highday, is this your handwriting?" Doctor-"I presume it is."
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Judge Wick-"Dr. Highday, we have no jail to put you in, as the one we have is full, so hear your sentence. It is the judgment of the Court that you be banished from the court grounds until the trials are over. Sheriff, see that the judgment of the Court is carried strictly into execution." Hudson, the prisoner, was brought into court by the deputy sheriff and two of the guards. His appearance had greatly changed since his arrest and imprisonment with his comrades in crime. He was now pale, haggard and downcast, and with a faltering voice answered on his arraignment, "Not guilty." The petit jury were hardy, honest pioneers, wearing moccasins and side knives. The evidence occupied but a single day, and was positively closing every door of hope to the prisoner. The prosecuting attorney read the stat- ute creating and affixing the punishment to the homi- cide, and plainly stated the substance of the evidence. He was followed for the prisoner in able, eloquent and powerful speeches, appealing to the prejudice of the jury against the Indians, relating in glowing colors the early massacre of white men, women and children by the Indians, reading the principal incident in the history of Daniel Boone and Simon Kenton, relating their cruelties at the battles of Blue Licks and Bryant's Sta- tion, and not forgetting the defeat of Braddock, St. Clair and Harmar. Gen. James Noble closed the argu- ment for the State in one of his forcible speeches, hold- ing up to the jury the bloody clothes of the Indians and
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appealing to the justice, patriotism and love of the laws, not forgetting that the safety of the settlers might depend upon the conviction of the prisoners, as the chiefs and warriors expected justice to be done. The speech of the General had a marked effect upon the crowd, as well as the jury. Judge Wick charged the jury at some length, laying down the law of homicide in its different degrees and distinctly impressing upon the jury that the law knew no distinction as to nation or color; that the murder of an Indian was equally as criminal in law as the murder of a white man. The jury retired in the evening and in the morning brought in a verdict of murder in the first degree. A motion for a new trial was overruled; the prisoner was brought into court and the sentence of death pronounced in the most solemn manner by Judge Wick. The time for the execution was fixed for a distant day. In the mean- time Hudson made his escape from the guard one dark night and hid himself in a hollow log in the woods, where he was found and arrested. Time rolled on. The fatal day for the execution arrived. Multitudes of peo- ple were there, and among them were seen several Senecas, relatives of the murdered Indians. The gallows were erected just above the falls on Fall Creek on the north side. The people covered the surrounding hills, and at the appointed hour Hudson, by the forfeiture of his life, made the last earthly atonement for his crime. The other cases were continued until the next term of court.
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Trial of Sawyer.
Monday morning of the next term came, and court met. Judge Eggleston and Judges Adam Winchel and Samuel Holliday, associate judges, took their seats, with Moses Cox at the clerk's desk, Samuel Cory on the sheriff's platform and Col. John Berry, captain of the guards, leaning against the logs. The grand jury were called. sworn and charged, and court adjourned for dinner. In the afternoon the evidence of the main witnesses was heard. O. H. Smith, prosecuting attor- ney, had prepared indictments in his office in Indianap- olis. These he presented to the foreman of the grand jury. The foreman signed the bills on his knee, and they were returned into court before the adjournment that night. The court met the next morning. It was agreed between counsel for the State and defense that Sawyer should be tried first for the shooting of one of the squaws. The prisoner was brought into court. He appeared haggard and very much changed by his long confinement. The court room was crowded. Gen. James Noble, Philip Sweetzer and O. H. Smith ap- peared for the State and James Rariden, Lot Bloom- field, William R. Morris and Charles H. Zest for the prisoner. Judge Eggleston-"Sheriff, call the petit jury." Judge Winchel-"Sheriff, call 'Squire Make- peace on the jury, he will be a good juror. He will not let one of these murderers get away." Judge Eggles-
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ton, turning to Judge Winchell-"This will never do. What, the Court pick a jury to try a capital case?" The jury was soon impaneled. The evidence was conclusive that the prisoner had shot one of the squaws at the camp after the killing of Ludlow and Mingo by Harper and Hudson. This jury, too, were a hardy, heavy- bearded set of men, with side knives in their belts, and all wore moccasins. Mr. Sweetzer opened for the State with a strong speech. He was followed in able speeches by Mr. Morrison, Mr. Zest and Mr. Rariden for the prisoner. General Noble closed for the State. The case went to the jury under an able charge from Judge Eggleston and court adjourned for dinner. At the meeting of court after dinner, the jury returned the ver- dict of guilty of manslaughter, two years of hard labor in the penitentiary. Sawyer was immediately put upon trial before the same jury for the murder of the Indian boy at the camp. The evidence was heard and was con- clusive against the prisoner. Able speeches were made by counsel for the State and also for the prisoner. The jury was charged by the Court and retired for delibera- tion. After an absence of only a few minutes the jury returned a verdict of guilty of murder in the first de- gree. The prisoner was remanded and court adjourned.
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